IS WORKING AT HOME ON A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE ECONOMICALLY BENEFICIAL TO EMPLOYERS AS WELL AS EMPLOYEES?

YES: Many employees, especially with child or elder-care responsibilities, are able to pursue their professions. They can work when they are most productive and save on commuting time and costs. Employers have access to talent that otherwise might be lost while gaining from happier and more productive employees. Office space costs can be lower, and firms are likely to have an advantage in competing for key workers. Flexible schedules may not work for all firms, and opportunities for collaboration must be facilitated and workers held accountable. But there are good reasons why more than 13 million workers work at least one day a week from home.

YES: But it clearly depends on the particular tasks that the employee is asked to perform. The National Study of Employers found that the percentage of employers that offer workers flexibility to work some hours from home occasionally rose from 34 percent in 2005 to 63 percent last year. On the other hand, the CEO of Yahoo recently decided to move in the opposite direction, maintaining that the best idea development comes from face-to-face contact. But employers that are able to offer their workers more flexibility can reap benefits in terms of less unplanned absenteeism, higher morale and access to a broader and more talented workforce.

YES: The evidence is clear. Workers who can work from home tend to have better morale and are more productive. Of course there are those who will use work time at home to goof off, but there are plenty of workers who use time at the office to goof off. Recently, a large firm estimated that one-third of its bandwidth was being taken up by workers in offices downloading and watching YouTube videos. The ideal combination for many workers involves both work at home and work at the office to interact with colleagues. Technological change has made working from home more feasible for more workers.